Lobster Corn Chowder Serves 6 Recipes

LOBSTER & CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Bring stock (or broth) and water to a boil in a large stockpot.
• Very carefully remove the rubber bands from lobsters (pay attention; they will start trying to pinch). Place the lobsters claws-side down in the pot, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover, carefully flip the lobsters over, cover and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove the lobsters to a large bowl and let cool. (Reserve the stock.)
• Working over a large bowl to catch the lobster juice, cut open the tails with kitchen shears. Insert a fork into a tail on an angle and pull out the meat. Crack open the claws with a lobster cracker or nutcracker and remove the meat from the claws and knuckles. (The meat will not be fully cooked.) Cut the meat into 1-inch pieces; set aside in the bowl. Remove the thin legs from the body, break in half and add to the stock.
• Meanwhile, heat butter and oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Increase heat to high and add the reserved stock (with the legs) and any reserved lobster juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, 10 to 12 minutes more.
• If using fresh corn, cut the ends so you can stand the cob flat on a work surface. Using a large, sharp knife and standing each cob on its end in a large shallow dish, cut the kernels from the cob. Then, using the blunt side of the knife, scrape down the cob to release the corn "milk." Repeat with the remaining ears of corn.
• Stir the corn kernels and corn milk (or frozen corn), reserved lobster meat and its juice, cream (or half-and-half), 1/4 cup chives, pepper and salt into the pot. Cook over medium-low heat until steaming hot and gently simmering, 5 to 6 minutes. Serve topped with the remaining 1/4 cup chives.

CORN AND LOBSTER CHOWDER

Steps:

• If using thawed frozen lobster tails, cook in pot of boiling water until almost cooked through, about 6 minutes. Drain. Cool. Using kitchen shears, cut lobster shells open. Remove lobster meat; cut into bite-size pieces. Discard shells.
• Purée 4 cups corn with 1 1/4 cups broth in processor until almost smooth.
• Sauté bacon in large pot over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels. Pour off and discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from pot. Add onions to pot; sauté until light golden, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 4 cups corn; sauté 3 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and cayenne; sauté until vegetables soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Add clam juice and 1 3/4 cups broth; simmer 10 minutes. Stir in corn puré and whipping cream; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Lobster, bacon, and soup can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill lobster and bacon separately. Cool soup slightly; chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Bring bacon to room temperature and bring soup to simmer before continuing.) Remove soup from heat; stir in sour cream.
• Melt butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add lobster meat and sauté just until heated through, about 2 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish each serving with lobster pieces, bacon, and chives and serve.

LOBSTER AND CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Reduce heat to medium-low. Plunge lobster into water headfirst, and simmer, covered, for 9 minutes. (Do not let water boil.) Transfer lobster to ice-water bath using tongs; reserve cooking liquid. Let stand for 10 minutes to cool.
• Crack lobster claws, knuckles, and tail, and remove meat; reserve shells and body. Coarsely chop meat. (You should have about 1 cup.) Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Return shells and body to pot with cooking liquid. (For added flavor, chop body with a cleaver before returning to pot.) Add reserved cobs. Simmer, covered, over medium heat for 35 minutes. Strain stock through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids.
• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook corn kernels, onion, garlic, and 3/4 teaspoon salt, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes. Add 5 cups lobster stock, and cook for 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Strain soup through sieve. Set aside 1 1/2 cups corn mixture. Working in batches, puree remaining corn mixture and strained liquid in a blender until smooth. (For safety, remove cap from hole in lid, and cover with a dish towel to prevent spattering.) Strain soup through sieve, and return to pot with reserved corn and lobster meat. Cook over medium heat until warmed through. Stir in chives, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and some pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.

LOBSTER AND CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a very large pot, render the bacon over medium heat. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, red peppers, and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the corn kernels, garlic, shallots, salt, pepper, Essence, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour turns the color of peanut butter, about 4 minutes. Add the sherry and cook for 2 minutes. Add the lobster stock and cayenne, and stir well to incorporate. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add the potatoes, stir well, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the cream, lobster and assorted herbs, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and ladle into bowls. Garnish with reserved bacon and serve.
• In a large stockpot, heat the oil. Add the shells and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the celery, tomatoes, onion, carrot and thyme. Cut the fennel bulb in half and add to the pot. Cut the garlic head in half horizontally and add to the pot. Add enough water to cover the ingredients by about 2 inches. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about 4 hours.

LOBSTER CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Remove the meat from the shells of the lobsters. Cut the meat into large cubes and place them in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Reserve the shells and all the juices that collect. Cut the corn kernels from the cobs and set aside, reserving the cobs separately.
• For the stock, melt the butter in a stockpot or Dutch oven large enough to hold all the lobster shells and corncobs. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat for 7 minutes, until translucent but not browned, stirring occasionally. Add the sherry and paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk, cream, wine, lobster shells and their juices, and corn cobs and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and simmer the stock over the lowest heat for 30 minutes. (I move the pot halfway off the heat.)
• Meanwhile, in another stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the oil and cook the bacon for 4 to 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until browned and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Add the potatoes, onions, celery, corn kernels, salt, and pepper to the same pot and saute for 5 minutes. When the stock is ready, remove the largest pieces of lobster shell and the corn cobs with tongs and discard. Place a strainer over the soup pot and carefully pour the stock into the pot with the potatoes and corn. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the cooked lobster, the chives and the sherry and season to taste. Heat gently and serve hot with a garnish of crisp bacon.

LOBSTER AND CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Remove the lobster meat from the shells, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Set aside. Put the shells and bodies in a large saucepan.
• Gradually stir some of the cream into the cornstarch until the cornstarch is smoothly dissolved. Add the dissolved cornstarch and remaining cream to the saucepan with the shells. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer 6 to 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add corn, potatoes and onions, and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Strain hot cream mixture into saucepan with corn; continue to simmer 5 minutes or so, until potatoes are tender.
• Add the lobster meat, and season to taste with cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Simmer for another minute; serve.

LOBSTER AND CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a 6- to 8-quart soup kettle.
• Add lobster, cover and boil for about 10 minutes.
• Remove and reserve the shells and carcass for stock.
• Cut lobster meat into 2-inch pieces.
• (Can wrap and refrigerate meat and shell overnight.) Put the reserved lobster shells and carcass in a large saucepan with the half-and-half.
• Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer 4 minutes.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a soup kettle.
• Add the potatoes, onion and corn kernels and saute over medium-low heat until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Strain the lobster cream over the vegetables, bring to a simmer, and then simmer slowly until the potatoes are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Stir in the lobster meat, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.
• Simmer just until the lobster meat is hot, about 5 minutes.
• Ladle into warm bowls and serve.

LOBSTER AND CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Bring a generous amount of water to the boil, enough to cover the lobsters completely when they are added. Add salt. When the water is boiling vigorously add lobsters. When the water returns to the boil cook lobsters exactly 4 minutes. Drain. When they are cool enough to handle break off and reserve the claws and tails of each lobster.
• Carefully crack the meaty portions of the lobster, the claws, tail and so on. Remove the meat but reserve shells. Cut tails in half lengthwise and remove and discard the intestinal tract. Rinse and drain the tail portions. Set aside. Put all the shells in a kettle. Add 12 cups of water and bring to the simmer.
• Meanwhile, cut and scrape the kernels from the corn. There should be about 4 cups of kernels. Set aside.
• Cut the cobs crosswise into quarters and add them to the kettle. Do not add the kernels. Add the peppercorns, whole onion, bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Cut off the rind of the bacon and add the rind. Cook 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the liquid in the kettle, when strained, measures about 8 cups. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, cut the bacon into fine dice. There should be about 1 cup.
• Put bacon in a clean kettle and cook, stirring often, until it is rendered of fat, browned and crisp. Add the butter and coarsely chopped onions. Cook, stirring, until the onions are wilted and tender without browning.
• Meanwhile, cut each unpeeled potato into 8 pieces of approximately the same size. Add the potato, the chopped thyme, the reserved lobster liquid and the corn kernels and bring to the boil. Cook about 20 minutes or until the potato is tender but not mushy.
• Add the shelled lobster pieces and the cream. Add salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaves and serve.